ICTSD » Intellectual Property Programme

Innovation in Brazil, India and South Africa

Anusha — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 14:03:55 +0000

The International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD), the Brazilian Centre for International Relations (CEBRI), Prospectiva Consulting and the Brazil Institute of Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars are pleased to invite you to a seminar on Innovation in Brazil, India and South Africa, to be held in Geneva, July the 15th (9h00-13h00) at the Geneva International Conference Centre (CICG), 17 Rue de Varembe, 1211 Geneva.
The objective of the seminar is to discuss innovation policies and strategies in Brazil, India and South Africa and their role in economic growth and development in a changing global landscape.
Background
Innovation has become one of the main drivers for growth and development in some emerging economies. However, designing and implementing coherent and effective innovation policies that are supportive of wider development objectives and socio-economic needs is no easy task. In this regard, Brazil, India and South Africa have made important efforts in recent years to promote effective systems of innovation and to modernize their technological and scientific infrastructure in order to compete in an increasingly globalised marketplace. Encouraging results are appearing both in academia and the private sector. The seminar will bring together representatives from governments, the private sector, international organizations, civil society and academia to discuss the challenges facing innovation policies in these countries taking into consideration their wider development objectives and the changing global landscape. The extent to which these policies are conducive to achieving a qualitative change in the positioning of these countries in the global knowledge economy and what lessons could be drawn for other developing countries seeking to promote innovation, are also questions which will be addressed during the seminar.

To register: please send name, organisation, email and telephone to: eventos@cebri.org.br

Diálogo regional: Evaluación del impacto de las normas de propiedad Intelectual y acceso a medicamentos, Costa Rica y el Acuerdo CAFTA-DR

Maximiliano Chab — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 12:23:14 +0000

Los Derechos de Propiedad Intelectual (DPI) se han convertido de forma gradual en un elemento de creciente importancia en el marco del acceso a medicamentos, afectando el diseño e implementación de un buen número de programas, acciones y políticas de salud pública. La evaluación del impacto de la protección de los DPI sobre el acceso a medicamentos de manera metodológicamente rigurosa y sistemática resulta esencial tanto para decisores políticos como trabajadores/as del sector salud y otros actores involucrados.

Entre el 18 y 19 de junio se presentó y discutió en las instalaciones del Centro Internacional de Política Económica Para el Desarrollo Sostenible (CINPE) el informe “Impacto de las normas de propiedad intelectual y acceso a medicamentos: Costa Rica y el Acuerdo CAFTA-DR” basado en la utilización de un modelo prospectivo de análisis económico aplicado a la nueva realidad que el acuerdo de libre comercio configura para los países de América Central. Se trata del resultado de un esfuerzo conjunto de las organizaciones (ICSTD, OPS-OLos Derechos de Propiedad Intelectual (DPI) se han convertido de forma gradual en un elemento de creciente importancia en el marco del acceso a medicamentos, afectando el diseño e implementación de un buen número de programas, acciones y políticas de salud pública. La evaluación del impacto de la protección de los DPI sobre el acceso a medicamentos de manera metodológicamente rigurosa y sistemática resulta esencial tanto para decisores políticos como trabajadores/as del sector salud y otros actores involucrados.

Ha sido una buena oportunidad no sólo para dar a conocer las posibles implicaciones del Acuerdo CAFTA-DR sobre el acceso a medicamentos en los países firmantes del CAFTA-DR sino igualmente un escenario propicio para intercambiar experiencias y compartir información sobre las diferentes perspectivas que caracterizan el necesario equilibrio entre Salud Pública y DPI. Especialmente en unos momentos donde, tras la aprobación de la Estrategia Global sobre Salud Pública, Innovación y Propiedad Intelectual y su progresiva implementación en las Américas se perfila un escenario más dinámico con nuevas iniciativas y proyectos específicos dirigidos a promover la innovación y acceso a los medicamentos. MS, PNUD) que conforman el llamado consorcio e igualmente producto del fructífero diálogo del mismo con instituciones locales, en este caso el CINPE.

Dinner for “WTO-WIPO Colloquium for Teachers of Intellectual Property” participants to meet with Geneva IP Community

Camille Russell — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:17:32 +0000

List of Participants_2009

The International Centre for Trade & Sustainable Development (ICTSD) and the Quaker UN Office (QUNO) held a dinner on Tuesday 23rd June, at 6.30 pm, at the Hotel Epsom, 18 rue de Richemont, Geneva.

The dinner provided the opportunity for participants at the WTO-WIPO Colloquium for Teachers of Intellectual Property to meet informally over dinner with the Geneva-based community working on intellectual property.

Each year, the WTO and WIPO offer a two-week in-depth Colloquium for around 20 selected experts teaching in the field of intellectual property, predominantly from universities in developing countries. The colloquium gives this group of academic experts an intensive programme on current issues in the WTO and WIPO, and on the state of negotiations. This dinner, hosted by ICTSD and QUNO is the key opportunity for participants to meet with national counterparts and get a more informal, practical account of how negotiations are shaped in Geneva and beyond.

This event affords the colloquium pparticipants, who will shape the knowledge of future IP policymakers, can discuss informally the national positions in the TRIPS Council and WIPO with those involved in the negotiations. Given your experience, and that there will be a participant from xxx in the colloquium your participation would be most valuable.

During the dinner, there was also a short panel presentation entitled ‘Developing Countries and the Global IP Agenda,’ with Maximiliano Santa Cruz (Mission of Chile, Chair-WIPO Standing Committee on Patents), Pedro Roffe (ICTSD), and Sisule Musungu, IQSensato.

Please email to cdommen@quno.ch or quno@quno.ch or by phone on 022 748 4810 for further information.

Climate Change, Technology Transfer and IPRs: Recent Developments and the Way Forward

Camille Russell — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:21:55 +0000

list-of-participants_word-version

Bonn
11th June
(19h30-21h00)
Rail Room
Ministry of Transport

Link to Webcast of side event:
http://unfccc2.meta-fusion.com/kongresse/090601_SB30_Bonn/templ/ply_page.php?id_kongresssession=1845&player_mode=isdn_real

The International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) held a side event on recent developments in relation to climate change, technology transfer and IPRs and the way forward, in the context of the UNFCCC climate change meetings taking place in Bonn (1-12 June).

Transfer and diffusion of environmentally sound technologies (EST), in particular to developing countries, is a key element of any effective international response to the global climate change challenge and one of the pillars of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

Discussions on transfer of technology, and IPRs in particular, reflect the urgent need for further evidence based analysis to inform current negotiations.

In this regard, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the European Patent Office (EPO) and the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) have decided to undertake a joint study on patents and clean technologies to address this need. (link to webcast:
http://unfccc2.meta-fusion.com/kongresse/090601_SB30_Bonn/templ/ply_page.php?id_kongresssession=1845&player_mode=isdn_real

The objectives and the main components of the study were presented at the side event as well as the preliminary results of the patent landscape prepared in its framework.

The side event sought to present different opinions and perspectives on technology transfer and IPRS and on the means to achieve progress on these issues, on the road to Copenhagen, in a manner which contributes to the wide diffusion of climate change technologies to developing countries.

The side event is part of ICTSD’s Global Platform on Climate Change, Trade and Sustainable Energy which is specifically aimed at contributing to effective international cooperation towards addressing climate change, by advancing analytical capacity of stakeholders and their interaction with policy makers such that effective solutions can be built and agreed by the international community at the Copenhagen COP-15, in December 2009.

For further information, please contact Ahmed Abdel Latif at aabdellatif@ictsd.ch

Cross-Retaliation in TRIPS: Options for Developing Countries

Camille Russell — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 14:40:32 +0000

Cross Retaliation in TRIPS: Options for Developing countries
by Frederick M. Abbott

The possibility for developing WTO Members to suspend concessions in the field of trade-related intellectual property rights (TRIPS) to redress an injury suffered with respect to trade in goods or services is a trade issue receiving increasing attention. Cross-retaliation is expressly contemplated by the WTO Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU). WTO arbitrators have so far approved TRIPS cross-retaliation on two occasions: in favour of Ecuador against the European Communities (EC) and Antigua against the United States (US).

Cross Retaliation in TRIPS: Options for Developing Countries examines many legal questions raised by cross-retaliation in TRIPS and seeks to provide some answers to them. It analyses the cross-cutting issues raised by external commitments and national IPRs-related rules, and looks at each major categories of IPR to suggest practical approaches to suspending (or not suspending) them.

Beyond these legal and practical problems, the paper underlines that the main obstacle facing the less powerful WTO Members in seeking to implement cross-retaliation in TRIPS is likely to be political in nature, in the form of pressures from industry groups and governments of more powerful Members. WTO Members contemplating cross-retaliation in TRIPS should be aware that this will be no easy task.

This paper is produced jointly under ICTSD’s Programme on Dispute Settlement and Legal Aspects of International Trade and the Programme on IPRs and Sustainable Development. While the former aims to explore realistic strategies to maximize developing countries’ capability to engage international dispute settlement systems to defend their trade interest and sustainable development objectives, the latter seeks to achieve a more development oriented and balanced IP system and to identify options for developing countries to ensure that IP norms are supportive of their public policy objectives.

The author, Frederick M. Abbott, is Edward Ball Eminent Scholar Professor of International Law, Florida State University College of Law.

Limitations and Exceptions to Copyright –Recent Developments and the Way Forward

Camille Russell — Mon, 25 May 2009 07:43:43 +0000

The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) are organizing, on 29 May 2009, a side event to the WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR). The side event will focus on innovative ideas of how to promote creativity in the digital environment and to strike an appropriate balance between the interests of copyright holders and users.

Background

This issue of limitations and exceptions to copyright has gained significant attention in the WIPO SCCR. Since 2003, Chile has raised the issue in the committee and was subsequently joined by a number of countries in proposing a programme of work in this area including the possibility of elaborating an international instrument on exceptions and limitations which would include a mandatory set of exceptions and limitations common to all WIPO member states.

WIPO’s SCCR offers a timely opportunity to present the analysis and research in this area to an informed audience of policy makers, negotiators and experts. Therefore UNCTAD and ICTSD has invited a number of distinguished scholars and experts to present work new ideas and developments in the area of copyright and exceptions and limitations which would contribute toward a better understanding of the issues and stake and be a useful input into the SCCR s discussions.

Keynote speakers will be Professor Reto M. Hilty, Director, Max-Planck-Institute for Intellectual Property, Munich, who will present the “Munich Declaration on a Balanced Interpretation of the ‘Three-Step Test’ in Copyright Law” (see http://www.ip.mpg.de/shared/data/pdf/declaration_three_steps.pdf) and Professor Jerome H. Reichman, Duke University School of Law, who will speak on “Sustainable Innovation in the Digital Environment: The Crucial Role of Copyright Law’s Limitations and Exceptions”.

Please find attached the final program for this meeting. Sandwiches and beverages will be served outside Room B as of 13:00.

For further queries, please contact Mr. Ahmed Abdel-Latif, Programme Manager, ICTSD (aabdellatif@ictsd.ch or 022/917 89 21); or Mr. Christoph Spennemann, Legal Expert, UNCTAD (Christoph.Spennemann@unctad.org or 022/917 59 99).

For security requirements, persons not accredited to the WIPO SCCR are kindly requested to confirm their attendance by 28 May by contacting Ms. Camille Russell (crussell @ictsd.ch or 022/917 88 55).

Limitations and Exceptions to Copyright –
Recent Developments and the Way Forward

UNCTAD-ICTSD Panel Discussion at the WIPO SCCR
Room B, WIPO
29 May 2009, 13:15 – 14:45

AGENDA

Welcome and Introduction,

Key Note Speakers

Mr. Reto M. Hilty
MPI for Intellectual Property, Munich and Professor, Universities of Zurich and Munich

Mr. Jerome Reichman,
Bunyan S. Womble Professor of Law, Duke University School of Law

Commentators

Exchange of views with participants

Pre-registration by May 28th is required due to limited space and security requirements. Please e-mail: crussell@ictsd.ch or call +41 22 917 8855

UNCTAD-ICTSD Dialogue Implementing the WIPO Development Agenda and the Public Domain

Camille Russell — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 06:07:23 +0000

Thursday 30 April 2009, 13:15 – 15:00
Room B, WIPO
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The United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the International Centre on Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) are organizing, on 30 April 2009, a side event to the meeting of the WIPO Committee on Development and Intellectual Property (CDIP).
The Dialogue will focus on the importance of the public domain for the promotion of innovation and creativity, with a view towards informing the debate among WIPO CDIP delegates on the implementation of recommendations no. 16 and 20 of the WIPO Development Agenda (See http://www.wipo.int/ip-development/en/agenda/recommendations.html).
The keynote speaker will be Professor James Boyle, William Neal Reynolds Professor of Law, Duke University School of Law, who will speak on “The Public Domain: Concept, Recent Trends and Implications for Creativity and Innovation”.
In addition, the UNCTAD-ICTSD Project on Intellectual Property Rights and Sustainable Development will launch the first issue of its new series of Policy Briefs on the WIPO Development Agenda, entitled “A2K and the WIPO Development Agenda: Time to List the Public Domain”, by Dr. Uma Suthersanen, School of Law, Queen Mary, University of London (available at http://www.unctad.org/en/docs/iprs_pb20091_en.pdf and ).
Sandwiches and beverages will be served outside Room B as of 13:00.
For further queries, please contact Mr. Ahmed Abdel Latif, Programme Manager, ICTSD (aabd...@ictsd.ch or 022/917 89 21); or Mr. Christoph Spennemann, Legal Expert, UNCTAD (Chri...@unctad.org or 022/917 59 99).
For security requirements, persons not accredited to the WIPO CDIP are kindly requested to confirm their attendance by 29th April by contacting Camille Russell (crussell @ictsd.ch or 022/917 88 55).
Agenda
Introduction
UNCTAD-ICTSD opening remarks
Launch of UNCTAD-ICTSD Policy Brief No. 1 on the WIPO Development Agenda:
“A2K and the WIPO Development Agenda: Time to List the Public Domain”
Dr. Uma Suthersanen, School of Law, Queen Mary, University of London
“The Public Domain: Concept, Recent Trends and Implications for Creativity and Innovation”
Mr. James Boyle, William Neal Reynolds Professor of Law, Duke University School of Law
Commentators:
- H.E. Alberto Dumont, Ambassador, Permanent Mission of Argentina to the the United Nations and the WTO
- Mr. Thomas Cottier, Professor of European and International Economic Law; Managing Director, World Trade Institute and Director, Institute of European and International Economic Law, Bern
Open discussion
Concluding Remarks
UNCTAD-ICTSD

The Negotiation and Implementation of IPR provisions in Free Trade Agreements:Experiences and Lessons for Developing Countries

Camille Russell — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 09:32:54 +0000

16th April 2009

World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
Room C1
9h30 - 17h00
___
The World Bank Institute (WBI), the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) held a Global Dialogue on TRIPS and Public Policy challenges: The Negotiation and Implementation of IPR provisions in Free Trade Agreements: Experiences and Lessons for Developing Countries on 16th April 2009 (9h30-17h00), at the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), Room C1 (7bis, avenue de la Paix, 1211 Geneva).

The purpose of the Dialogue was to contrast different experiences about implementation of intellectual property rights (IPR) provisions in free trade agreements (FTAs) with a view to draw useful lessons for developing countries in order to help them better prepare themselves for future negotiation and implementation of FTAs.

Backrgound

Recent years have witnessed a proliferation of FTAs between developed and developing countries as the multilateral trade negotiations have stalled. The FTAs often contain ´TRIPS plus´ provisions, going beyond the commitments made in the WTO TRIPS Agreement. Two dimensions are of particular concern: the effects of TRIPS plus provisions on public policy objectives and the implementation of such provisions at the national level. Developing countries are facing the concurrent pressures of several groups that are pushing specific intellectual property (IP) interests, notably the USA and Europe.

The purpose of this dialogue was to contrast different experiences about implementation of IPR commitments taken in FTAs. As such, the specific focus of the dialogue was novel: to assess to what extent FTAs have triggered institutional and legislative changes in signatory developing countries, and how complex it was to undertake these reforms.

From the study and exchange of views regarding such implementation questions, the dialogue sought to draw useful lessons for developing countries in order to help them better prepare themselves for future negotiation and implementation of FTAs.

Agenda
9:15 a.m. -9:30 a.m.

Welcome and Introduction
ICTSD-UNCTAD and World Bank Chairs

9:30 a.m. -11:15 a.m.

The IPRs provisions of deep FTAs: is implementation an issue?
Petros Mavroidis (Columbia Law School), On the binding nature of RTA provisions in US and EU agreements
Jean-Christophe Maur (WBI), Contrasting the European and US approaches on IPR
Henning Grosse Ruse-Khan (Max Planck Institute), The notion of binding ceilings in IPR protection

Sisule Musungu (IQsensato), discussant

11:15 a.m. -11:30 a.m.            Coffee break

11:30 a.m.-12:45 p.m.

From negotiation to implementation: further challenges? The case of US FTAs
Santiago Roca (Universidad Esan), Peru’s experience with USA’s pre-requisites
Pedro Roffe (ICTSD), An overview of US FTAs and recent developments

David Vivas (ICTSD), discussant

12:45 p.m.-14:15 p.m. Lunch

14:15 p.m.-15:45 p.m.

From negotiation to implementation: further challenges? The case of EU FTAs

Maximiliano Santa Cruz(Mission of Chile), Contrasting Chile’s experience with the EU and the USA
Malcolm Spence (Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery), The CARIFORUM EPA Agreement: A Forward Look
Ahmed Abdel Latif (ICTSD), The Egypt Euromed Association Agreement

Christoph Spennemann (UNCTAD), discussant

15:45 p.m. – 16:00 p.m.         Coffee break

16:00 p.m. – 17:00 p.m.

Drawing lessons for developing countries
Members of the panel will offer for discussion with the floor an outline of the main conclusions of the day’s discussion as well as preliminary recommendations for future work and policy guidance.

Panelists: Pedro Roffe, Petros Mavroidis, Santiago Roca, Sanya Reid Smith (TWN), Malcolm Spence

Examination of Pharmaceutical Patents from a Public Health Perspective in the Arab region

Camille Russell — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 08:39:00 +0000

Cairo 14-15 April 2009
WHO-UNDP-ICTSD

The International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) in conjunction with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are holding a Dialogue on the “Examination of Pharmaceutical Patents: Developing Public Health Perspectives” on the 14-15 april 2009 in Cairo, Egypt. Participants will include government, industry, IO, and NGO representatives and experts on the subject.

The event will attempt to address the broader issue of developing criteria for the grant of drug patents, specifically balancing protection of intellectual property rights and concerns of access to health. The consultation will focus on the various types of claims that subsist in the context of pharmaceutical patents. The event will also examine the mechanisms for examination of pharmaceutical patents from a public health perspective.

There has been increasing interest about how international trade agreements and intellectual property rights can impact on access to medicines. The interaction between trade, IP, and access to medicines has led to the adoption of the Doha Ministerial Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health. This Declaration affirmed that the TRIPS Agreement should be interpreted and implemented in a manner that allows for countries to take measures that protect public health and promote access to medicines.

Patents, and IPRs, are often said to promote innovation and R&D of new medicines, but evidence shows that patents on genuinely new pharmaceutical products is limited. The majority of patents are granted to cover modifications to existing drugs. Similarly, the majority of pharmaceutical R&D today focuses on variations, not on the development of new entities. Changes regarding production and patenting of medicines will have large effects on the pharmaceutical industry and patent system.

Participants will place the discussion of patents in the context of public health and specifically the balance between IP protection and access to medicine. Also discussed will be TRIPS versus local flexibilities, and typical claims made during patenting of pharmaceutical products. Experiences and problems in Developed Countries will be presented and participants will also look at mechanisms that could enhance the examination of pharmaceutical patenting. The mechanisms include the opportunity for pre- and post-grant opposition to patents and rules and procedures of the examination of patent-applicants’ products.

Taller andino sobre comercio y desarrollo sostenible en las negociaciones de un Acuerdo Comercial entre la Unión Europea y Colombia, Ecuador y Perú

Maximiliano Chab — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 18:56:54 +0000

Los acuerdos comerciales bilaterales y regionales promovidos por la Unión Europea (UE) y los Estados Unidos (EE.UU.) han proliferado alrededor del mundo. La lenta progresión del avance de las negociaciones de la Ronda de Doha en la OMC y la importancia cada vez más estratégica del comercio de los servicios, de la propiedad intelectual, así como de estandares laborales y medioambientales, son algunos de los elementos que explican dicha proliferación. Tratados comerciales tales como el Acuerdo de Asociación que esta promoviendo la UE con Ecuador, Colombia y Perú, así como los Tratado de libre Comercio negociados entre estos dos últimos y EE.UU., se insertan en este contexto.

Estos acuerdos tienen y tendrán sin duda muchas implicaciones no sólo en el ámbito comercial sino que definirán aspectos fundamentales en el diseño de políticas económicas y de desarrollo sostenible en esrtos países.

Con el fin de apoyar a los equipos negociadores de Colombia, Ecuador y Perú en la mesa de comercio y desarrollo sostenible del acuerdo con la UE, ICTSD junto a la Corporación Andina de Fomento (en cooperación con la Comisión Economica para América Latina y el Caribe) organizan un ” Taller andino sobre comercio y desarrollo sostenible en las negociaciones de un Acuerdo Comercial entre la Unión Europea y Colombia, Ecuador y Perú”.

Dicho evento tiene lugar los días 25 y 26 de marzo en Lima, Perú.